


Defiant Despite the Danger of Demise

by Abreebee123



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine
Genre: And causes our favorite crazy music director a great deal of annoyance, But they mostly hate each other, Gen, Main character is stubborn, No Romance, Sometimes they hate each other, Sometimes they sort of get along, Using 1st person POV for the first time ever, Who keeps giving Sammy blunt objects, don't drink ink kiddos, occasionally, sammy no
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-14
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2020-12-16 10:47:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21035003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Abreebee123/pseuds/Abreebee123
Summary: All her life, Adira has dealt with most of her problems with sassy snark and a rude remark. However, when what started as a jaunt in an abandoned animating studio becomes a desperate struggle for life and death, her sarcasm and stubbornness aren't going to get her anywhere. But even though the situation is completely nonsensical, it isn't like her to panic. After exploring for a way out for several hours, she's now armed with an axe and heading toward a new exit.What could go wrong?(Takes place at the end of Chapter 2)





	1. Say Hello to Sammy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know a lot of 'random person in the studio' stories are boring, but this isn't boring, I swear! It isn't just going through the game from someone else's POV, it's a completely original idea. It annoys me to no end when a story is almost the exact same as the game itself, so I promise, this isn't.  
By the way, this is my first time writing from a first-person point of view, so sorry if the writing is a bit sub-par.
> 
> That being said, enjoy!

With a great deal of effort, I started to turn the valve in the music director’s office. The rusty metal protested loudly, but eventually relented and began to turn. Finally. Now to get out of this place. 

I shouldn’t have been here in the first place, but I had a thing for old buildings. Had, past tense, because after this little venture, I was done with exploring abandoned buildings. It seemed like a fine idea at first. An old animating studio, straight out of the golden days of animation. Abandoned and untouched. It seemed fine. I saw the machine, the pedestals, listened to the audio recording, and got curious. Decided to try to turn it on, just to see what it does. Never got to see what it does though, because right after turning it on I was attacked by this… thing. I didn’t get a good look at it. Tried to leave, and just my luck, I somehow managed to fall through the floor. Little while later I had made it to the Music Department, and there was an exit. And the valve I just turned should have cleared the way so I could leave. 

I whistled loudly as I strolled down the hallway, swinging the axe I’d found. Despite my nonchalant attitude, I was gripping the weapon so hard my knuckles turned white. There were these ink monster things all over the place, and I didn’t want them to get the jump on me. I wasn’t sure what they were, only that I’d killed a lot of them, so I didn’t really want to think about it. 

To be honest, I really didn't know how all this was possible. It was completely ludicrous. My mind was reeling every time I had to strike down a groaning, gurgling monster made of ink, but I ignored it. If I were to dwell on it, I would probably freak out. So instead, I focused on my goal: getting out. I reached the end of the hall and started to turn toward the stairwell. However, just as I did so, there was a loud _ clang _ and pain shot through the back of my head. Before I could even register what was happening, I was on the floor, my brain fuzzy and confused as a weak groan escaped my lips. There was a man standing over me, a person made of ink wearing yellowed overalls and a dilapidated Bendy mask. The same man I’d caught glimpses of several times already. 

Black spots were dancing across my vision, and I blinked in a desperate attempt not to pass out. He murmured something, but I couldn’t hear him through the ringing in my ears. My vision faded in and out, blurry, dark, and unfocused, but I wasn't fully unconscious. I vaguely felt myself being lifted under the shoulders, and my feet dragging on the faded wooden floorboards. I could hear him still talking to himself under his breath, but it sounded as though I was hearing it from underwater. Still, I was still awake, barely. Just really, really out of it. A part of me that was still coherent tried to remember the hallways he turned down. Right, left, left, right… my throbbing head made it hard to focus and I eventually lost track.

As the fog over my mind slowly started to clear and I could think more clearly, I flexed my fingers slowly and wondered if I could make a run for it, but quickly decided against it. I was in no shape to run, I’d almost been knocked out and probably had a concussion. I decided to just wait a bit, see where this guy was taking me, and look for an opportunity. He was bigger than me, but I could probably hold my own if I needed to. Wait, would I even be able to actually hurt him? He was made of ink. I mean, I could kill those ink monsters, but I probably wouldn’t have an axe. 

Where was my axe, anyway? 

He probably had it. I had half a mind to look up and check, but stopped myself. He didn’t need to know I was awake. 

My train of thought was interrupted when we came to a stop. The man lowered me to the ground and turned to open a door. I decided to maybe try talking to this guy. Maybe he’d listen to reason. Or at least tell me what he wanted. 

“Ugh… Who are you?” I asked groggily, bracing my arms under me and sitting up on my elbows. He turned, glancing down at me. He didn’t seem all that concerned, but it was hard to tell with the mask covering his face. 

“Former music director of this studio.” He pulled a small, silver key out of his pocket as he talked and fit it into the keyhole on the doorknob. “Currently prophet of our lord and savior.” Wait, was this the guy on the tape recordings? Samuel... what was it?

“Sammy Lawrence.” _ Ah, that’s it. _He turned the key and the door swung open. 

“What do you want with me?” I demanded, scowling. Sure, maybe you weren’t supposed to be rude to the person who had just kidnapped you, especially if they clearly had a few screws loose, but despite my unfortunate situation, I'd never been one to cower and comply. It just wasn't who I was. Sure, I was scared, but it just fueled my irateness. 

“I’m going to sacrifice you to Bendy, then he’s going to set me free.” He said simply, with a hint of reverence in his smooth voice as he turned to face me. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Bendy? The cartoon character?” 

“I suppose that’s all he was once, my little sheep, but now he’s so much more.” He reached toward me to lift me up again, but I pulled away. 

“I have legs, you know.” I muttered, getting to my feet. He didn’t reply, watching me closely. 

“So… when is it happening?” I asked slowly, glancing down the hallway behind me, wondering if I was faster than him. My thoughts must have showed on my face, because he stepped around me, both blocking off my escape route and herding me into the room. 

“Alright, alright,” I relented and stepped into the room. My eyes scanned the area, searching out any exits. On the far wall was a roll-up door, and on the wall to my left was another door. On the floor between me and the door to my left was a sinister-looking circle in front of a pillar. 

“So, are you going to kill me?” I asked. He still said nothing, which was mildly infuriating. He just closed the door and slipped past me, walking over to a coil of rope on the floor.

“Are you going to answer any of my questions? It’s really rude to knock someone out and then not say anything. Hello?” He sighed, bent down and picked up the bunch of rope, then turned back to me. 

“Just be quiet, would you?” He said, scowling at me. Then my eyes widened, my gaze locked on the back wall. 

“Is-is that Bendy?” I stammered, trembling finger pointing past the man in front of me. Sammy turned quickly. 

“What?” 

I didn’t waste one second. Immediately I whirled around, flung the door open, and took off down the hall. There was an angry shout, then I could hear a second pair of footsteps echoing after mine. I flew around a corner and skidded to a stop, turning the doorknob of what was probably an office. And thank my lucky stars, it was unlocked. I darted inside and shut it behind me, leaning against it and panting. I waited for a moment and heard footsteps run past the door. 

I waited a few moments more before slowly turning and opening it a crack. Clear both ways. I opened it wider and slipped out, moving quickly yet silently in the opposite direction Sammy had gone, trying other doors as I went. Most of them were locked. I had gotten really lucky. After a few moments I came to a branch in the hall. I turned, expecting another full-on hallway, but instead I came face-to-face with rusty metal bars in front of a black shaft. An elevator shaft. I froze for a moment in surprise, not expecting that at all, before quickly moving forward to press the ‘call’ button. The elevator was coming, but too slowly. And too loudly. I glanced behind me worriedly, and waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally the elevator appeared, the metal bars opening with a metallic screech. I stepped inside and pressed the button to close the doors, and just in time. Just as the elevator doors clanged shut, Sammy appeared around the corner. The man banged on the bars with his inky fists, making the ancient metal contraption I was in shudder. I slammed my palm on the console, not knowing which floor I hit nor caring. The elevator started to descend. He took a staggering step backward, breathing heavily and glaring at me. Then he was gone, rough stone walls surrounding me on every side. 

As it continued to descend, I took the time to catch my breath. I bent over, putting my hands on my knees, and took deep breaths. I needed to not lose my head. I was heading deeper into this crazy place and I didn’t have a weapon. First things first, find one. Then avoid Sammy, make my way back up, and I dunno, find some way out of here?

There was a crackle of static, then a woman’s voice came out of nowhere. 

“I see you there.” She called tauntingly.

“A new fly in my endless web. Why don’t you come down and see me? Level 9.” I glanced at the elevator buttons. I was currently heading to Level P. Who named floors like that anyway? I stood up straight.

“While I appreciate your offer, I’m going to have to pass.” I said loudly. 

“Why not? I just want to talk.” Her voice was light and innocent, but in more of a sinister way that made me cautious to trust her. 

“Considering everything here wants to kill me, I doubt that. No offense, but I just barely escaped a madman who wanted to sacrifice me to a cartoon character, and you just compared me to a fly caught in a web. Can you blame me for being a little wary?” There was a chuckle.

“So you’ve met Sammy. For someone who was once so smart and handsome, he really has fallen far.” She sighed.

“If you really want to wander around alone and unarmed, be my guest. You’re probably going to die, which would be unfortunate, but oh well. Just consider my offer, darling.”

I sighed in relief. I had a feeling that she would be the type to drop an elevator out from under you if you made her angry. 

The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors opened. I rubbed my eyes then stepped out, turned to my left, started cautiously down the hall. 

As I made my way down the hallway, incomprehensible gurgles reached my ears. I peered around the corner to find some… thing wandering through the next few offices and halls. It looked like a conglomeration of a bunch of different things. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I wasn’t about to go see if it was friendly. It hadn’t noticed me yet, and was currently heading the opposite direction of my hiding place. I glanced around, looking for something to use as a weapon, but my eyes landed on a large wooden stall labeled “Little Miracle Station.” I quickly stepped toward it and pulled the door open. It was empty. Then there was a sudden loud gurgle coming from the creature, and I turned my head to see it running toward me. Without a weapon or anywhere else to go, I quickly stepped into the box and closed the door. There was a slot in it, through which I could see the creature stop. It turned around and kept walking as though it had never seen me. 

It seemed I could use these boxes to hide. But I doubted they would fool Sammy. Speaking of, I could hear the elevator moving. Did he know what floor I’d gone to? Maybe, but I didn’t want to risk it. By now the creature had turned the corner, so I slowly opened the door and stepped out. 

Making my way forward, I saw a door opposite of the offices. I quickly darted over to it and tried the handle. Unlocked. It swung open, revealing a short hallway. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, then walked down the hall to find a set of stairs. I was about to start up them when I stopped. If Sammy was coming, then he’d know I’d probably go up. I stepped off to the side, where there was a random desk sitting there, and I crawled under it. Maybe he’d be too focused on finding me to see me, pass me, then I could double back again. The elevator was faster and seemed safer than the stairs would be. 

I waited for a few moments and started to have second thoughts. Maybe I should have just gone up the stairs. I didn’t know how far behind me he was, or if he was even on this level. Just as I thought this, I heard a door open. Seconds later, Sammy appeared, axe in one hand. _ My _axe. Jerk. He stepped toward the stairs leading up, then paused. And turned. And locked eyes with me. I scrambled to get out from under the desk as he shot toward me. Just as I got to my feet, an inky hand grabbed my upper arm. Without missing a beat, I brought a knee up, hard, into his stomach. He grunted and I wrenched away from his grip, turning and dashing down the hallway. 

I had to make it back to the elevator. I turned right, toward the Miracle Station, then started to turn again into the hallway leading to the elevator. But just as I did so, my eyes registered a certain mask just as something slammed into the side of my head, causing an explosion of pain. I yelped in surprise as my momentum carried me forward, and I fell hard, the wind getting knocked from my lungs. As black crept in at the corners of my vision, I glanced upward to see Sammy standing there, arms crossed, before my eyes fluttered closed.

~~~

I woke up slowly, groggily, to see a Bendy mask right in my face. _ Wh-! _ I started, suddenly remembering what was going on. Sammy was crouching down in front of me as if studying me. Then he leaned backwards and stood up. I started to move, then realized I couldn’t. I looked down to find ropes tying me to a pillar behind me. I was sitting back in that room Sammy had originally brought me to. I squirmed, but they held fast. 

“You’ve been causing quite a bit of trouble, little sheep. Quite a few… delays.” He said, crossing his arms again as he glared down at me.

“And _he_ doesn’t like delays.”

“How unfortunate for you. And for heaven's sake, I'm not a dang sheep. ” I grumbled. He ignored my remark. 

“If he gets angry, it’s _ your _ fault. I did everything I could. You’re the one who ran off.” He said, pointing an accusatory finger at me. The way he said it though, it was almost as if it was directed toward someone else. 

“Sorry if I don’t particularly feel like dying,” I said sarcastically, giving him a wry smile. 

“Well, it doesn’t matter now. You’re here, and it’s time. _He will set us free_.” Sammy turned and walked to the other door, disappearing into another room. Speakers crackled to life and his voice could be heard.

“Sheep, sheep, sheep, it’s time for sleep. Rest your head, it’s time for bed. In the morning you may wake, or in the morning you’ll be dead.” I wrestled with the ropes, my fingers searching for a knot to untie, but it was taking too much time to escape. Time I didn’t have. The roll-up door across from me started to rise, rumbling ominously.

“Hear me, Bendy! Arise from the darkness, arise and claim my offering. Free me, I beg you! I summon you, show your face and take this tender sheep.” 

A raspy hiss echoed in the dark hallway beyond, and black inky tendrils coated the far wall.

Then Bendy emerged. He looked nothing like the cartoon. His inky, mangled body was probably six or seven feet tall. His eyes weren’t visible under the thick coating of ink dripping down his face, but his wide grin was clear to see. It didn’t look happy, though. It was sinister and malicious. The monster slowly limped toward me, eyeless gaze locked on mine. My breath caught in my throat. I don’t think I would have been able to move even if I wasn’t tied up. 

As he came closer, the black tendrils of ink followed him, surrounded him. I swallowed hard. _ This is it, _ I thought. _ There is _ no _ way I can worm my way out of this one. _ But I wasn’t about to curl up and cry. At least I could go out with dignity. 

He was standing right over me now, glancing down at me. He suddenly crouched down to my level, and I was face-to-face with that smile. My heart was pounding so hard that I wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it. He didn't move for what felt like it lasted forever, but it was most likely a few seconds at most. Then, he lifted one clawed hand, grabbed my chin firmly, and tilted my head side to side. Almost like he was inspecting me. I jerked away, glowering, and he glanced downward, his hand straying to my neck. The tips of his claws danced over my skin, not hard enough to puncture but hard enough to show how razor-sharp they were.

“Well? Are you going to kill me or what?” I interrupted, giving the creature a defiant glare. 

He paused, lifting his head again and looking at me. Even though that unchanging grin remained plastered on his face, his body language suggested another emotion. Indecision? Thoughtfulness even? Or was I just seeing what I wanted to see? Then he let out a sort of snort and dropped his hand, stood up and turned without giving me another glance, and started toward the door leading to where Sammy was. 

  
But that was all I saw, because then, without warning, dizziness overwhelmed me and blackness crept in at an alarming speed. _ Not again! _ I groaned inwardly as my head dropped, darkness taking over once more. 


	2. Third Time's a Charm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adira was spared by the Ink Demon, and Sammy isn't exactly happy about it. Now she has one choice: Help Sammy, or go against Bendy's wishes immediately after he decided not to kill her. But Adira is still hellbent on that third option: Escape. And like they say, third time's a charm.

I woke up much the same as last time, face-to-face with Sammy. Only this time he was untying me.

“Wait, what? What’s going on now?” I asked in confusion. Sammy seemed angry for some reason. 

“I did all this and he doesn’t even- ugh.” He muttered, then glared at me. “Well, it seems he’s taken a liking to you.” He growled.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“You… amuse him.” He said as though it explained exactly what was going on, although my mind was still reeling that I wasn’t dead. 

“Sometimes I wonder if this is all for his entertainment, if he’s just messing with me…” He murmured. “Sometimes I wonder…” he trailed off, pausing for a moment, then shook his head, finished untying the knot, and stood up.

“You sure talk to yourself a lot,” I quipped, stretching my arms. He glared at me again. He did that a lot too. 

“So let me get this straight. Your ‘lord’ decided not to kill me because he decided that, what, my stubbornness is amusing?”

“I don’t pretend to know his ways, but it certainly looks that way.” He grumbled. “A rather unfortunate turn of events, in my humble opinion. I was looking forward to watching you get what you deserve, especially after all the trouble you caused me.” Suddenly, a rumble shook the studio and Sammy stumbled, wincing. “Right, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He blurted. 

I frowned.

“Is he listening?” I received a dark chuckle in response as Sammy turned away from me and picked up my axe. I got to my feet, stretching both legs since they were numb from sitting so long. “Another dumb question, but I don’t suppose I can leave now…?” He laughed again, louder this time, and wiped away a mock tear with his free hand.

“I’m slowly starting to see why he thinks you’re funny.” 

“Yeah? Well at least I’m not waiting around for a living cartoon character to ‘set me free,’” I shot back. He turned back toward me suddenly, and the intensity of his stare made me worry for a split second that I’d gone too far. I opened my mouth, about to apologize purely out of habit, but I bit my tongue. I didn’t need to apologize to this psycho; if I made him mad then so be it. 

“Disregard my previous statement,” he said deliberately after a few tense moments. I breathed an internal sigh of relief. 

“What now, then?” I asked.

“Well, there’s only one option, I suppose. You help me.” Sammy concluded. It was my turn to laugh. 

“You’re kidding, right? There’s no way that’s going to happen.”

“I don’t believe you have a choice.” He stated, his gaze never leaving my face. I crossed my arms. 

“You want me to join your little cult?”

“It is not a cult!” He replied indignantly. 

“Is too.”

“Is not!”

Another deep rumble shook the studio, nearly knocking me off my feet, although Sammy didn’t lose his balance this time.

“He doesn’t approve of our bickering. Stop acting like a child,” he muttered. 

“I wasn’t,” I grumbled under my breath. “Alright, let’s say I said yes, what exactly would that entail?”

“Well,” he remarked, “We’d find others. And do as I did with you.”

“Other _ people _?” 

“Yes.” 

I mulled it over. The thought of finding other people unfortunate enough to wander in here, knocking them out, and tying them up for a bloodthirsty monster made me nauseous. But if it was a matter of life and death for me… No. There was no way I was going to do that. There was no way I was going to end up like Sammy.

“And if I refuse?” 

He sighed. “I can’t touch you, but I would imagine you’d meet a painful end.” 

I fell silent for a few more moments before asking, “Does he... like, talk to you?” Sammy shrugged.  
“It’s… complicated. You’ll likely find out for yourself rather soon.”

What did he mean by that? Did he honestly expect me to help him? Because if he did, he was delusional. Well... never mind.

“Hate to disappoint, but no. Not in a million years.” I said firmly, glaring at him and daring him to argue. 

“He spares you, leaves your physical and mental health intact, and this is how you thank him?” 

“I didn’t ask for any of this!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands in the air in exasperation. “I don’t want anything to do with this crazy place. I just want to go home, alright?” 

Sammy looked down at the axe in his hands before saying quietly, “Don’t we all… You never should have come here in the first place.” 

“At least there’s one thing we can agree on,” I sighed. “Now, I’m going to leave. Are you going to stop me or not?” Sammy lifted his head to look at me again, then set the axe down, leaned back against a pillar, and crossed his arms.

“If you have a death wish, fine. I don’t care about what happens to you.” 

With that, I stepped forward and grabbed the axe and turned to the door. I knew it’d be locked, as he wouldn’t have wanted a repeat of last time, and I wasn’t about to ask nicely for the key, so I reeled back and brought the axe down on the doorknob. Both the doorknob and the locking mechanism inside were destroyed by the blow, so I pushed the door open and started through the hallway. 

I turned right at the split in the hallway. The other way was the elevator, and I was pretty sure it didn’t go up to the first floor. If it did, I didn’t know which button would take me there. Besides, I really didn’t want to have to talk to the woman on the speakers again. 

I kept going, turning here and there and trying doors. I had a pretty good sense of direction, but pretty soon I was completely turned around. I hadn’t really thought this far ahead. Rather than try to backtrack, I took a deep breath and placed my right hand on the wall. I would turn right every time, and eventually find a way back to somewhere I recognized. You could solve most mazes that way. 

It took me nearly ten minutes of walking, taking out ink monsters from time to time, to reach the main part of the Music Department, but I wasn’t about to complain. It could have been worse. But now it was just a little further to the exit. Now, I wasn’t naive. Something or someone had stopped me every time I’d been about to leave, and the chances of that happening again were high. But did that mean I wasn’t going to try? Of course not. After all, third time's a charm.

I turned into the stairwell. It was drained now, so I could see the ink-stain floorboards at the bottom of the stairs. I didn’t waste a single moment. I all but sprinted down them and reached the door, placing one hand on the knob. _ Well Joey Drew Studios, _ I thought triumphantly, _ you threw your worst at me. But it wasn’t good enough, was it? _

I began to turn the handle and there was a _ click _. I rolled my eyes. 

“Really?” I lifted my axe over my head in preparation to swing. A smirk already starting to form on my face, I began to bring my arms down. But then, something stopped me. I part of me noticed inky shadows covering the walls and floor, but I was too caught up in what was happening to truly realize what that meant. My weapon was yanked from my hands. I whirled around just as a force not unlike a freight train slammed into my chest, pinning me to the door. I grunted, and my eyes traveled from the arm pinning me, up to that wide grin I was starting to hate. 

“H-Hello again,” I wheezed, hardly able to breath through the significant pressure constricting my lungs.

“Fancy s-seeing you here.” 

Bendy moved closer, until my face just a hairsbreadth from his. Then, without warning, he grabbed my arm and flung me into the wall. But the wall, instead of being hard and unforgiving, gave way and I sunk into it. Into… ink. I had just enough time to close my mouth and eyes before it closed over my head and I was enveloped in cold, wet, blackness. Even though my ears were clogged with the stuff, I could hear voices. Screaming, crying, wailing, pleading voices.

Then, the ink started to recede from my face. I gasped, opening my eyes, only to see the ground rushing up to meet me. I threw my hands out just in time to keep my face from hitting the floorboards, ending up on my hands and knees. I immediately noticed that I didn’t have a single bit of ink on me, not even from earlier. I took a huge gulp of air and turned my head to look behind me. Just plain wall. I turned back to the room I was now in, only to see that, somehow, I was in Sammy’s sanctuary. And Sammy was sitting at his desk, half turned around toward me, pen in hand, staring. I blinked hard. 

“What just happened?” I croaked, feeling incredibly disoriented. Sammy looked at the door, then back at me.

“Well, he didn’t kill you, for one.” 

“Disappointed?” I murmured, slowly getting to my feet and turning to knock on the wall. It was certainly solid now. Sammy didn’t answer. 

I turned back toward him and pinched the bridge of my nose. This whole thing was giving me a massive headache, or maybe it was just the extensive head trauma. 

“Alright then,” I muttered, closing my eyes and leaning back against the wall. It was silent for a few moments before Sammy spoke again. 

“I don’t think I know your name.”

“I don’t think you ever asked.” I retorted. I paused for a moment, then relented. “It’s Adira.” Sammy hummed. 

“An interesting name.” 

“Thanks, I guess.” He turned back toward the desk, tapping his pen against the wood lightly. 

“Can you tell me…” he started slowly. “Can you tell me what it’s like out there? It’s been so long.”

“Outside?”

“Yes.” How long, exactly, had all this been going on? How long had they been stuck here? As far as I knew, the building had been abandoned since the 1940’s, but it _ clearly _ wasn’t exactly abandoned. It had been decades. And there wasn’t a single window on the first floor, I’d noticed. As deep-rooted my dislike for Sammy was, I felt a shred of pity. _ Darn empathy. _ I sighed.

“Fine. What do you want to know?” 

~~~

For someone as deranged as Sammy, he really wasn’t all that terrible to talk to. And we talked for quite a while. In fact, I almost forgot exactly who I was talking to. I told him about what was going on in the world, my life before getting trapped here, about my family, friends, hobbies. He talked mostly about what _ his _ life was like, way back before any of this happened. About his work at Joey Drew Studios and his love for music. His questions kept circling back to anything music-related, and it wasn’t hard to see what his passion was. Aside from… well, Bendy. But he really seemed to tone it down the longer we talked.

“Do you play any instruments?” He inquired. 

“I’ve played piano for years, but I really wanted to learn violin my whole life. My mom made me take piano when I was younger though, and I guess I never got around to learning it. How about you?” Sammy nodded thoughtfully.

“I can play just about anything you put in front of me. However, I’m partial to the banjo. The violin is a beautiful instrument, though. It’s difficult to master.” 

“I’m curious, how long does it usually take you to finish a song?” Sammy hummed. 

“Well, it depends. Sometimes I can write an entire song in an hour or two, other times it takes me all day to write a single measure. It usually depends on whether I’m feeling inspired or have any distractions. On average, it takes me a day to compose the melody, then a few additional days for fine-tuning and making different parts for different instruments.” I nodded.

“Do you write music?” 

“Not really… I’ve never really gotten the hang of it. I can’t just come up with a melody out of nowhere. I wrote one song for the piano, sort of. I took an unfinished song and added and changed so much that it isn’t the same song anymore. But it’s really below-average.”

“Most ‘firsts’ are. It just takes practice. It’s easier for some than others, too. I was writing tunes from a young age. But even someone without natural talent can get to a professional level with enough perseverance.” 

We continued talking for a while longer. I avoided questions about his life before the studio and his family, because he usually just went quiet. I assumed he just didn’t want to talk about it. I also found out that questions about Bendy made him snap back into ‘prophet mode,’ is what I referred to it as, so I usually avoided them. However, I decided to risk it:

“Why do you wear that mask?” Sammy straightened.

“I aim to resemble the most perfect form I know,” he said solemnly. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

“How do you see with it on, anyway?”

“How do you see with yours off?” He replied. Aaaand he was talking in riddles again. I tried to change the subject.

“What are those ink monsters all over the place?” It seemed to have worked, because Sammy relaxed slightly and responded.  
“I assume you’re referring to the Searchers. They were once people, but their souls have been lost to the ink. They’re constantly searching for the parts of themselves that have been lost.”

“They... They’re people?” I asked, starting to feel a little sick. How many had I killed in the time I’d been here?

“Were,” he corrected. “Are you concerned about harming them?” It was like he read my mind.

“They attacked me, I didn’t have a choice!” I stumbled over my words slightly in my haste, feeling like I needed to explain myself. Sammy shook his head.

“They aren’t dead, not really. Nothing here really dies. They just returned to the puddles for a while. I guarantee they won’t even remember by the time they’re back.” He confided, his voice softening. Was he… trying to reassure me or something? What happened to ‘I don’t care what happens to you’?

“Do they attack you?” Sammy shook his head.

“They usually leave me alone. Sometimes I play music for them. Especially Jack.”

“Jack? Who’s that?” I asked, my curiosity peaked. I hadn’t heard any other names so far other than Sammy’s, besides the tape recordings. 

“An old coworker. He wrote lyrics. I wasn’t the happiest when Joey hired him, and we didn’t get along too well. But I guess it doesn’t make much sense to hold grudges, considering all that’s happened,” he explained. After a few moments, he sighed.

  
“It’s been awhile since I had someone else to talk to. Someone who can talk back, anyway,” he admitted.  
“I’m kind of surprised you-know-who hasn’t gotten annoyed at us for talking so long,” I murmured, raising an eyebrow.

“Our lord is most gracious. He only asks things of us every so often, leaving the time in between to ourselves.” Our. Us. Yeah right. I still hadn’t agreed to anything, and I didn't plan to. I normally would have said this out loud, but because I didn’t want to start another argument like earlier, I kept my mouth shut for once. 

“...Right. And how often is that?”

“It’s difficult to keep time down here, but I’d say… every month or so.”

“Okay, and what do you do if there isn’t a human unfortunate enough to be around when that happens?” 

“That has never happened before. There’s always someone here when he asks it of me. Whether he asks because they are here, or he sends them, I’m not sure.” I snorted.

“Well, I came here of my own accord, so I guess you know the answer now.” 

“Don’t be so sure, Adira. He’s more influential than one might think.” _ Yeah, right, _ I thought. But I still kept my mouth shut.

“I don’t suppose there’s anything to eat around here? I’m starving.” Sammy stood up and started toward the roll-up door of the sanctuary. I was about to get up when he called, “I’ll be right back.” 

Shrugging, I sat back down. True to his word, he was back in under a minute, carrying several bulky cans of Bacon Soup. He placed most of them on a shelf in the hallway, then handed one to me. Of course, I knew what it was. These cans were practically everywhere in the studio as far as I’d seen. I’d avoided them because of the expiration date. 

“You do realize these went bad in the 1940s, right? They’re practically poison at this point,” I said, examining the can.

Sammy shrugged. “It’s better than starving. Probably.” I groaned before popping the tab on the top and peeling the lid off. I peered inside. It was the color of wet sand and looked way thicker than it should have been, and smell was sharp, although I couldn’t quite place exactly what it smelled like, only that it was highly unpleasant. 

“Yeah, I don’t think I’m that hungry yet.” 

“By the time you’re hungry enough to eat that stuff you’ll be half dead.” 

“You know what? You’re right.” And with that, I lifted the can to my lips and threw my head back. The second the goopy mess touched my tongue I wanted to gag. It was slimy, sharp, and salty. Very salty. Still, I forced myself to swallow, then chug the rest of it. The faster it was over with, the better. Finally, I finished, setting the can down on the floor with a shudder. 

“How was it?” Sammy asked, an amused note to his voice.  
“Awful. Absolutely awful. Why do you ask?” 

“I don’t exactly have taste buds anymore, in addition to the fact that I don’t need to eat.”

“Wait, you don’t have to- wait, what?” I asked in confusion. He sighed.

“No, I don’t. I haven’t felt the need to sleep either, although I can to pass the time,” he explained.

“Is… is that all that’s different?” 

“I don’t need to breath, either. Although, again, I can. I do a lot of the time. It just helps me feel… normal. Human.” He stared down at his hands. I felt an overwhelming sadness wash over me. Sammy truly was stuck in a fate worse than death, and had been for decades. No wonder his sanity had taken a steep nosedive. 

And if I didn’t get out of here soon enough, I could very well end up just like him.


	3. To Save Her Own Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still unable to leave, Adira run into a stranger in the studio. She intends to help them escape, but when plans go awry...
> 
> How far is she willing to go to save her own skin?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! Sorry it took a little while to get this chapter out. Been having some major writer's block in addition to a busy schedule. But here it is, darlings, here it is.

“So does the elevator go to the first floor?” I asked as I trudged up the stairs after Sammy. 

“It does, although the button for it isn’t on the elevator. Same for the Music Department. The main controls for the elevator can bring it to whatever level though, even if there isn’t a button on the elevator.”

“Where are the main controls?”

“I… I don’t remember exactly. Deeper down for sure. Inside _ her _ domain.” I thought for a minute before speaking again. I had encountered a ‘her’ before, when I was on the elevator.

“Is that the woman who spoke over the PA system? Who is she?” I inquired. Sammy sighed. 

“Alice Angel. But don’t let her name fool you, she’s the least angelic person around. She’s probably the worst person you could possibly run into down here.”

“Really? _ The _ worst?” I insinuated, raising an eyebrow. Sammy gave me a sideways glance as we finally reached the top of the stairs. He opened the door. 

“Yes,” he said curtly before continuing. “She kills other creatures, using their souls to make herself better.” I thought back to the rather disturbing corpse I’d found soon after arriving.

“Huh.” We stepped through, now back on the main floor. I wasn’t exactly sure why Sammy had come up here, only that he ‘had matters to attend to’ and I didn’t feel like hanging around the Music Department unarmed and alone with those Searchers about. We turned left, into a familiar hallway. “And what does Bendy think about her?” 

“She often mocks him and destroys his cutouts, while staying holed up on Level 9. So I think it’s safe to say that they don’t exactly get along,” he spat. I snorted, and Sammy glanced back at me. 

“What?” he asked suspiciously.

“Nothing.” 

He stopped at the door that lead to a small office space.

“I have things to do, so don’t bother me,” he told me before stepping inside and closing the door. I stood in the hallway for a moment before rolling my eyes and starting toward the exit. Another try wouldn’t hurt. How else was I supposed to get out of here? 

After carefully making my way around the hole in the floor, I found it to be locked. I had expected that, but that didn’t make me feel less annoyed. _ Eventually _, I promised myself. I wasn’t in immediate danger at the time being, so I could handle staying here a little longer. Didn’t mean I was happy about it, though. 

I made my way back across and started wandering aimlessly. There weren’t any Searchers up here it seemed, so that was something. I was looking for a way to pass the time when I came across something I hadn’t expected. 

Footsteps. But Sammy had locked himself up in the office, plus his footsteps were more wet-sounding. And Bendy had a limp. I sped up, moving quickly through the hallways while looking for the source. It didn’t take me long to find it. I turned a corner and saw an actual human a ways down, paused and trying to turn the knob of a locked door. He looked up at me and froze, narrowing his eyes. 

“Who are you?” I blustered, trying to make sense of the situation. 

“Who are _ you _? There’s not supposed to be anyone in here,” he deflected with a scowl.

“That doesn’t matter, we need to get out of here,” I said quickly, starting toward him. “How did you get in here, anyway?” 

“Side door,” he answered gruffly. “And what do you mean, we need to get out of here?” 

“I haven’t been able to leave for what, a day or so? But it could have been much longer,” I explained, grabbing his arm and pulling him along with me. I opened a closet and pulled him in behind me, then closed the door.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He snapped.

“Shhhh!” I sibilated. “He can’t find out you’re here.” I peered through the crack in the door.

“What are you talking about? Who?” He asked impatiently, but he thankfully lowered his voice. 

“Sammy, now shush. How far away is the side door?” 

“Practically around the corner, I just got here.”

“Why did you come here anyway?” I asked, glancing back at him. 

“None of your business,” he all but growled.

“Whatever, the coast is clear. Let’s go.” I was about to open the door when he grabbed my arm.

“Not until you tell me what’s going on.” 

“Demons, angels, and a guy who’s absolutely lost his damn mind. And if you want to live, you need to get out before it’s too late,” I replied, pulling my arm out of his grasp. “I’m trying to save your life, so just cooperate, would you?” 

He sighed, rolling his eyes. “You certainly _ seem _ serious.” 

“I am!”

“Fine. Let’s go.” 

I opened the door… only to see Sammy standing there, arms crossed, stout wooden beam in one hand. I felt the man stiffen behind me.

“Absolutely lost my damn mind, huh?” 

“Sammy!” I yelped. He continued with a slow shake of his head.

“And here I thought you were finally starting to understand. But here you are, trying to prevent the inevitable. You know that this one won’t be so lucky, so you’re trying to save him. Noble, to be sure, but so naive.” I inched forward as he talked, hoping he wouldn’t notice. Then, I rushed forward.

“Run!” I shouted as I shoved Sammy into the wall. The man thankfully started sprinting down the hallway, and I turned to follow. 

A hand grabbed the back of my shirt, and Sammy pulled me backward and pushed me to the ground. I fell hard, the wind getting knocked from my lungs. By the time I clambered to my feet, the two had turned the corner. I began to run after them. Then my foot got caught on something and I almost tripped. I looked down, only to realize that an oozing mass of ink had seeped out of the floorboards and was sticking my foot in place. I pulled at it, but my foot wouldn’t budge. 

  
  


“What the-” I started, but froze as inky webs enveloped the area, and Bendy stepped out of the wall further down the hallway. “...Crap.” I finished as the monster began limping toward me. I tried to pull my foot out of the inky mess, but it was no use. I could only stand there. What did he want now? Did he finally get bored of me and decide for me to meet my fate? He staggered closer and closer, and it took all my willpower not to flinch away as he towered over me. Then, he raised both hands— gloved one and malformed clawed one —and placed them firmly on the sides of my head. It felt as though cold tendrils of ink were seeping into my very mind. It was unbelievably violating. I instinctively took a step backwards with my free leg as I gasped, but he didn’t let go. Then… 

**Y̸̞͎̣͌̒̀̍͜o̸̊̔̈́̓ͅư̷̼̓̉ ̷̖͕̲̣͛͆̈͘k̵̳̇ṇ̴̨̫̿̾o̴͎̘͍̘͊̓ẇ̵̼͇̮͖,̴̜̽̑͒ ̷̡͕͋̍ḳ̷̰̾̒͒ȋ̴̳̦̀̐d̶̬̭̦͉̋̅,̵͔͙̆ ̶͙͑͋y̴̜̻͍͎̏͌ö̶̟̤̘́͊u̷͙̙̘̘͆̑͝ ̶̜̺͋̓̚a̸͍̞̿͝ͅi̵̡̚ñ̴͖͑'̷͍̈́̾t̸̲͑̅̉͝ ̷̡̫͙̪̀̈́̉b̴̗̠͌̓̃̓ẽ̸̹i̷͙̼̭͐̈̏̎ͅņ̵̹̤̩͐̌͘g̴̡̀̾ ̴̩̳̩̎͆v̶̧͛̌ė̴̗͌͌͠r̴̖̎̀̑y̷̧̢̢̹͐.̴̧̬̙͜͝.̸̡̱͖̉͆̈͋.̴͈͓̬̇ ̸̫̤̞͊͐͆f̵̗̠͠u̷̧̝̘͔͌ņ̷̣̙̩̄.̶̘͍͉̞̌**

With a blast of pain that made it feel like someone had taken a blowtorch to my skull, it was like words were scorched across my mind. Like fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard. But a hundred times louder, and inside my very mind. I can’t quite describe the pain to someone who’s never felt it, just know that it was worse than anything I’d felt at the studio, probably worse than anything I’d felt in my entire life. Despite my former resolve, I let out a groan.

**Į̵̲͚͆͂ ̸̛͈͕͌ͅt̸̳̬̜̎h̷̲͔̫̟̒o̴̡̐̈́ŭ̴̘̫̪̈́͜ĝ̶̖̆̎ḥ̴̨͕̏̈́̀ͅṯ̴̓͋̈́ ̶͙̘̔̅y̸͈̹̗͗̓̿͋͜o̴͕͛̏u̵̗̐ ̷̳̱̹̟̌w̵̼̥̆e̷̺̳͕͚̐̉̀̉ṟ̸̮͐͂̄́ę̵͕̲̋̉ ̵̱̝̀̍̾g̴͓̞̈̊o̸̭̘̻͈̽n̶̝̜̲͒̉͋͑n̸̜̘̆̃͑a̸̡̞͉̿͋̍ ̶̧͗̄m̴̦̎̿̒a̵̧̱̖͆̃k̷̺̩̘͎̊̃̊̍e̵̻̔̍̊͝ ̶̱͈̚͜ẗ̶͉̬́̋ͅh̸̘̗̯̬͑̓̾̒i̶̼̍n̸̖̮̾͘g̵͈͆̄ŝ̶̮̖̳̠͌̉ ̴͉̔̊̈̔ẅ̴͔̙̥͕́e̸͍͖͈̰̍̌͗͝r̴̢̝̯̂̅̃͛e̸̫̟̲̱͗͐ ̶̢̼̜̗͊͠i̵̧̻͍̖͒n̴̡̘̪̞̽̊́ẗ̵̲͙́̽e̶̛͍͔̠̺̐͗͝ŕ̵̙̯̤ͅe̴̢̺̔͑s̵͙͉̐̏͠ẗ̶̰́̿͘̕i̵̫͑n̶̡̿ͅg̶̢͍̣̑̉̎ ̸̞͆͝'̵̣̼̯͆́͝r̴͙̮̍̾̊͠ö̸̘̯̰͕̽̏u̸̬͝n̷̨̝̞͇̂̎d̴͖͉̞̊̈́ ̶̨̬̩͙̋̋h̶̭̱̳͗̐̍e̷̢̟̫͋͌̕r̴̡̝̯̬̋̃e̵͖͗͜.̶͙̬̪̈́̈ ̶̮̞̦̫́́̚**

He kept going with those horrible, grating, burning words. It felt like my head was splitting apart with each syllable. My knees buckled, but his hands clamped on my head like a steel vise kept me in place. I couldn’t even form a coherent thought, just that it had to end I couldn’t take much more please make it stopmakeitst_ opmakeitstop! _

**B̶͇̰͇̃̂̽̕ȗ̸̳̥̖͍̂̇t̴̥̞͍͂ ̵̳̈́r̸͕̼͑̐̋i̶̘̬̅g̴͓̩̈́ͅẖ̸͒̀͝͝t̷̪͖̙̥͆͛͋̇ ̷̧̠͎̃̿̍̇n̷̼̻̅̎ò̵̺w̷̨̬͚͓͘.̸̹͕͐̈́͝.̴̝̍̾.̷̧͎̼̞̈́̽ ̵̧̢͖̘̀ä̶̻͉̥̦́l̵̹̆͌͑͗ļ̷̼̄͒ ̷̗̠̹͈͝ȳ̴̢̦̂̉ͅǫ̵̠̯̰͂̑͌͆ụ̶͚̠̯̔͋̅'̸͉̿̇̓͘ͅr̵͇͕͊̍͊ë̸̤͖́̊͜ ̷̢̜̜̺͊͐d̶͖̬̤̉o̵̜̅i̵̬̹͝n̴̻̈́͂͌͝g̶̡͖̬͚̋ ̸̮̱̗̠̓̾ḯ̸̳͎̻̱s̴̹͎̯͔̈́ ̴̗͓͂̈P̵͉̙̓͠I̶̙͑Š̶̬͗͐S̷͍͑̒Ị̷̮̭͕͆N̸̪͕͊͠G̵̛̝̣͓̐̌͋ ̵͖̬̙͋͜Ḿ̸̹̞̅̎͘E̵̛̜̦̥͐ ̶̡͉̲͉̇̆Ö̴̱́̓̊͘F̵̧͇̖͛͐̽̋F̶͉͋̉.̸̺̓̔̐ͅ**

  
  


He squeezed harder and I thought I was dead right then and there. My vision swam as that grin grew closer, his face moving closer to mine. Then, his grip relaxed, just slightly.

**Ỳ̶͍̹̏o̸͖͚͇͆͂͂ͅu̸̺̔̏ͅ'̶̻̰͚̤̽̈d̷͚̣͒͆̿̑ ̸̳̠́b̸̼̥͌̃͝é̶̛̯̼̠̆̾͜t̴̖͚͈t̴̨͉͕͖̄̽̓ę̵̹͉̮̔̾̆̄r̷̳̱̘̦͛́̄͑ ̵̰̂w̸͖̞̟͉͘̕ä̵̛̞̮́t̵͎̼̲̑̑̓̃c̶̯̼̙̞̓̊h̶̳̄͝ ̷̪̽i̷̡̼̳̍t̵̰̮̦̾͠,̷̛͚̄̓ ̴̼̲̯̖̅̀̑g̶͈̩̮̓̐́ỉ̵̫̏̾r̸̬͋l̵̨̦͈̓̐͌̿y̴̬͓̰̓͆ͅ.̷̡͎̱̙͆̔̑̐ ̵̼͛̔̅E̷̎̈͊ͅl̷̲̣̖̈́ş̷̥͊͌e̷͔̩̜̣͋̂̊ ̷̨̲͓̄̾y̶͓̹̙̬͂̊͘o̷̟̓̋̕u̷͍͖͆̕ ̶̛̹̝̅̕j̵̱̕̕ụ̴̢̼̮̂s̶̢͙͇̈́̎̾͜͠t̵̞͋̊̔̃ ̶̟̪̬̋m̵̪̅̊͊i̶̻̞̓g̵̭͗̄̑͠ḩ̶̨̭̟̔͌͐ẗ̸͖̲̻̭́̋ ̴̧͍̏̈́̕͘f̵̬̺̺͋̌į̵̼̤̄̏̅͜n̶̨̟͐d̵̝̙̭̻̃ ̸̡̱͇̊ẙ̴̳͆͝o̷̧̳͎̻̒ư̶̤̞͇̆̇ŕ̷̞̲͚̫̅s̵̥͚͎̐͐̂è̶̢̉͠l̵̦̹͂͌͘f̴̣̿̂̊ ̷̡̫̳̖͝ḭ̵̧̑̉̀͛ͅn̴̰̝̒͗̆͝ ̶͗̆̑ͅt̵̙̦̄͌h̶̨̰̜̤͊͝e̴͓̩̺̔͑͜ ̸̳̗̣̣̅͛͆̑p̵̟̜̬̩ũ̸͉͕͂̍d̸̢͖̘̪̽͐͌͛d̴̗̾̂̓l̵͇̣͌̒e̶̪͓̫̫̍̑̉̇s̸͇̉̓́͜.̷̺̘̈ ̸̢̦̫̤͂̿W̸̻̯͎̝̕o̸͚̽͝u̷̝͍̅̊ĺ̶̟̖͔ḏ̸͑̈́͂̂ṉ̴́͊͑'̵̜̋ṯ̴̨̈́̓͒ ̶̝͝ẗ̷̹͎̭́h̸̤͂ä̷̡͔͎͓́̋̀͆t̴͉̼͙̊̔̆ ̸͇̈́̊b̵͈͆e̵̢̲͂̅ ̵̣͉̦͂̑̽a̶͚͖͎̣̔̅͝ ̶̜͙͛̅̎͜s̶̱̒͂̈ḥ̷̨̥͙̾a̵͖͑m̴̨̧̖̬͑̆e̷̛̥̓̚͝?̶͈̏**

The hands were suddenly gone, and I fell in a heap on the wooden floorboards, my mind mercifully silent as darkness washed over everything.

  
  


~~~

  
  


It felt as though every time I woke up I was more tired than before. I really, really needed to stop passing out in this place. This time, however, I didn’t instantly open my eyes, opting instead to just… breath. Just for a few moments. Before getting thrown to the wolves all over again. _ Let’s see what this hellhole has in store for me this time… _With a sigh, I finally opened my eyes. 

Well, I was back in Sammy’s little sacrifice room. It was a little disconcerting how many times I’d woken up there. What was more disconcerting was the fact that the man I’d run into was tied up in front of me, in the same place I had been not so long ago. I scrambled to my feet. He looked like he was unconscious. I quickly stepped forward and reached toward his ropes with the intent to untie him, then… I hesitated. The memory of my previous encounter with Bendy was still fresh in my mind. Did I really want to make him angrier? He’d said something about ending up in the puddles… Hadn’t Sammy said the same thing about the Searchers? 

I glanced down toward my outstretched fingers, my gaze flickering between them and the person in front of me, my mind flickering between what was natural to me— what was right —and what would keep me alive. Then, very slowly, my fingers curled into a fist, my hand dropping to my side. It was when I took a single step backwards that a voice behind me spoke. 

“Well now, did he actually knock some sense into you?” A smooth voice asked, a hint of underlying amusement clear. I jumped and turned around, although it was obvious who it was. 

“What do _ you _ want?” I snapped, rubbing my eyes tiredly. I was instantly regretting my decision. But if it really was me or him… I turned to glance at him again. Sammy smirked at me. 

“To get this show on the road.”

  
  


~~~

  
  


“I can’t do this,” I mumbled. We were just waiting for him to wake up, then… then… just the very thought made me sick. Sammy turned to look at me. He waited a moment before speaking. 

“So you’ve come to your senses enough not to intervene, but not enough to- I see. Oh I see,” he murmured thoughtfully, turning away from me. I didn’t say anything. He wasn’t exactly making me feel any less guilty. 

“Well I think I may just have the solution, but it’ll have to wait until later.” Wait, what was he talking about? Solution?

The man stirred with a groan. His eyes slowly opened, blinking hard. 

“Ugh…” There was no jolt of alarm, no sudden realization, not yet anyway. He tried to move, but of course couldn’t. But he wasn’t panicking for some reason. I squinted, focusing on his face. That’s when I noticed that his eyes were glazed over, staring at nothing. 

“Geez Sammy, did you really have to hit the guy that hard?” Sammy ignored me, leaning over him. Then he blinked again, his eyes sliding into focus. He looked around, more in confusion than fear, until his gaze came to rest on me. His eyes widened for a moment before narrowing.

“...You.” He glanced around again, this time actually seeming to notice his surroundings before looking at me again, seemingly completely ignoring Sammy.

“I trusted you,” he spat, glaring. I didn’t say anything, but the guilt must have shown on my face because he scoffed. 

“And I suppose _you’re_ going to tell me what’s going on?” He asked, looking at Sammy.  
“I suppose I am, little sheep,” he replied. I turned and, without another glance backwards, walked into the adjacent room and sat in a chair. I really didn’t want to listen to Sammy’s little rant a second time. 

A minute later, he joined me in the room and leaned over the table, microphone in hand, and spoke into it. The very same speech he’d given me not too long ago. He flipped a lever and there was a rumble, which I assumed was the roll-up door opening. A few moments later there was some loud swearing. My stomach was already doing somersaults, but the noises in the next room grew worse. A meaty _ thump _, then choking garbled screams. I put my head in my hands, wishing I could block out the awful sounds. It felt like they lasted forever before finally fizzling out. After a few moments I looked up at Sammy. He put an inky finger in front of his mask like he was shushing me and shook his head slowly. There was a dragging sound, then all was quiet. Sammy stepped toward the door and opened it. I stood up, not quite able to keep myself from trembling, and followed him back into the room. 

It was empty. There was no sign of him, not even a speck of blood. I stepped backwards, taking a shaky breath and rubbing my head with my hands.

“Okay, okay,” I mumbled. Sammy turned to me.

“See? That wasn’t so hard.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to clear up any confusion: the guy isn't Henry.
> 
> Also, comment your thoughts? What do you think so far?


	4. Just Play Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sammy's supposed 'solution' seems strange, in addition to just being a bad idea in general. But because he won't drop the subject, she decides to just play along. After all, it isn't like it'll work. Just the mad ravings of a delusional maniac. That's all it is. Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, the grand finale! A bit of a roller coaster, this one is. Oh, and there's some mild language in this chapter, thought I'd mention.

_ I’m going to absolutely lose my mind if I stay here any longer _ , I thought to myself. _ I’m going to be battier than Sammy. _

It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but it did well to harden my resolve. I needed to get out.

Or die trying. 

After getting away from Sammy by telling him I needed to clear my head, I started walking briskly down the hallway. I had been walking for about five minutes when I abruptly stopped and leaned against the wall. I _ couldn’t. _Every time I’d tried, something had stopped me. And I figured Bendy had no qualms about killing me now, so my chances weren’t good. I suddenly stood up straight and kicked the wall, swearing loudly. 

“This place is driving me mad!” I shouted to no one, my voice echoing slightly off the bare walls. Breathing hard, I leaned against the wall again. I needed to be logical about this. I truly would go nuts if I stayed here much longer, which was exactly why I needed to not lose it and find a way out. But I couldn’t just walk up to an exit and try the door. I needed to find a better way to go about this. And while it may take a little longer, hopefully it would somehow work. 

I took a deep breath before slowly turning and starting back toward that awful room. 

~~~

“Sammy, I have a question that I want you to answer honestly.” He turned in his chair to look at me.

“...What is it?” 

“Have you… have you ever tried to leave this place?” I asked slowly. He sighed, but answered after a moment.

“Yes… many, many years ago. But I can’t leave. None of us can.” 

“Who’s stopping you? Bendy?” 

“No. It’s... It’s this accursed body,” he said, looking down at his hands. “That’s what can’t leave this place.” I was quiet. No wonder he hated it. No wonder he’d do literally anything if he thought it would… fix him. 

“But it’s been so long that I don’t really think about it anymore. It’s hard to remember what it was like to have a proper body… but it’s not so bad. You kind of get used to it. It’s not so bad…” he repeated, more to himself than me. 

That right there was why I couldn’t truly bring myself to hate Sammy. Sure, he was nuts, but it really wasn’t his fault. _ Then who’s fault was it? _ I decided to risk asking.

“Who started all this? Who’s behind it all?” I asked quietly. Sammy’s hands tightened into fists and he tensed noticeably.

“Joey.” He spat the word as if it were poison.

“Joey Drew? How did he—”

“By messing with things he shouldn’t have,” he snapped. “It started with that blasted machine! But the ink…” he trailed off for a moment before straightening. “The ink is what helped me see the light. It’s what helped me _ understand! _ And—” he paused, and I imagined a smile growing across his face under the mask he wore. “And it can help _ you _ understand too.” I tensed, leaning backward slightly. 

“What’s _ that _ supposed to mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. 

“It’s obvious, really. I don’t know why I didn’t realize before!” 

“Realize what?” I asked, still nervous but getting a little exasperated at his lack of an answer. He stood up abruptly.

“I’ll be back,” he said before walking towards the door. But what caught my attention was that he didn’t go to the door. He simply walked into the wall and… disappeared. I froze, staring at the spot he’d just been. So he could walk through walls? I guess that explained why he could get places so fast. 

_ Is that how he got in front of me on Level P? _ That felt like so long ago, but it couldn’t have been more than a day or so. Although I wasn’t sure how long I’d spent passed out. 

Speaking of passing out, I was _ exhausted _. I figured that if I got any more tired, I’d pass out completely of my own accord. Stifling a yawn, I leaned against the wall and slowly slid down until I was sitting on the floor. Just a few minutes’ shut-eye. My eyes fluttered closed before I could even think about whether this was a good idea or not. 

When I opened my eyes, I was standing. I saw the door of the exit on the first floor right in front of me. It was close enough that I could _ almost _ touch it. I tried to take a step forward, but my feet wouldn’t move. I glanced downward to find that they were stuck in an oozing mass of ink. It began to move upwards, against gravity, climbing my legs, and my breath caught in my throat. Suddenly there was a hand on my shoulder. An inky, clawed hand. Another hand materialized on my other shoulder, one with a white glove. I tried desperately to turn around, but my body wouldn’t obey and my throat wouldn’t work. 

**I̷͓͇͉͎̞̹̅̋́̐͘s̸̨̱̉͆͆̋̎̄ͅn̸̹̉̋’̴̨͙̟̺̂͌͒̕͝t̶̳͎̟̠͙̘̽ ̶̧̫͙̾͑̊͝i̷̟̳͖̇̿͌͝n̵̨͖̮̻̩̳̍́ḱ̶̹͓̓͜ ̴̹̹͎͊̈́̉g̸̤̠̖͙̋̎ȑ̸͔͛̓ȩ̷̘̃̃͝ǎ̴̛̳̮̺̫̰̦̓͌͒t̷̺̦̔?̸̘͚̤̰̦̘̃̈̊**

The voice wasn’t nearly as painful now, still grating and unpleasant, but bearable.

**I̴͚̠̹̻̰̊͘ṯ̴̠͕̜̻̦̄̾’̷̝̋͒ş̵̠̉͐̂ ̵͎͇̱̜̰̭̂͑͝c̵̛͍͌̋̍̍͛o̷͍̜̦̎͒̽̄l̶̢̥͚̥̼͛͐̓̄̄͠d̷̡̖̭̮͇̖͐͐̍,̶͎͇̦̏ ̶̧̹̲͛͒̈́i̷̙̩͖̥̲̽̈̓͘͘͜t̶̲͈̼̳̤̙̉͛’̶͎̺̱̟̤̚s̵̨̜̟̞̐̓̚ ̸̪͚̰̟̠̮̽̓̌̿͘w̷̨͈͍̏̂̆̿̿ͅe̵̞̥͆͆̇̎ṫ̴͇̬,̷͉̥͔̙̚ ̸̨̝̞̣͛̀͊a̷̜͌̅͒̒́͐ń̸͍͉͔͓̹͊̅̕͝d̶̗̤̊͌̆̐ ̴̠͍̋̂͠i̸͉̋̕͜ť̵͚͍͍̱̻̎͌ͅ’̶̬̰̬̱͎̐͐̽̕͝s̷̱̈͆̄ ̶̨̩͇͈̙̽̓͂ë̶̻̜ͅv̴̟̙̯͍͈̎̿̔͜ę̵̛͙͔̼̺͂̄ř̸̛̼̯̲̖͉͓͐y̷̱̽̇̅̄̾w̶̗̻̔h̴͉̠͍̱̟̣̍e̵̪͋̽̕ṛ̵̱̻̫̜̏̂̽̈̃͋ē̷͎͉̙͉̣͚̇̉͊͝.̶̨̝̲̮͓͐̄̾̑ ̷̧͈̯̣̙̏̓͑Y̸͈͉̻̘̣̋ö̴̧͇̹̯͘͝u̴̟̟͕̍͆̆͗͊ͅ ̶̟̘̰̱̖̱̔̌̆c̵̡̜͇̳̺͑̀̔ȧ̷̧͇͇́́n̵̯̟̗̍̄͌̌̍’̴̮͓̲͒̅͜ͅt̸̛͈̗̹̑͂̀ ̴̘̞̍̇̒ͅe̸̡̛̬̩̬͋̑̑̾͐s̵̩̮͗͌͘c̷̘̥̠̏͗̽͐a̴̖̹̮̔̇̄ͅp̶͚̕e̶͈̯̯͇̅͊̒́ ̴͕̩́̍̒̌͘ͅi̶̛͕͉̮̜̎̏̾̆͒t̸͍̰͙̀̇̀͌̚.̴̤̙̆͌̆͗ͅ ̷͈̦͕͎͐̂̔̎͝J̸̢̼͉̣̔̈́͜u̴̘͖̱̝̖̙͑̑̋̎̅͝ş̶̡̨̺͖̒͌̃̈́̋̉t̶̪̒͊ ̴̲̜͉̖̊̄̓̄̕l̸͍̟̣͉̯͗̚͝į̵̖̞̮͐̄̋̍k̴̯̪͛̚e̴̻̅̔̀̉ ̴̧͎̮̼͛̃́͘ỹ̵̺͊̍̈́̕͝o̷̱̖̰͖̓̚ư̷̯̟̍͂͋ ̸̱̏͝ć̶͎a̴̢͍̼̰̔̉͂ͅņ̴̙̟̣̂̎̐́͠’̴̧̨̣̫̲̰̆͘͠t̴̡͓̠̟̅ ̴̡̼̤̤̾͌e̷̱̗͈̥̹͠s̸̩͐c̶͕̱̈́̿͊̏a̸̘̰̭̹̻͌̎ͅp̷̥̾̈́͐ė̸̢̛͓̙̠̞̈͌ ** ** _̴̻̖̼̑̃̿͆̄m̶̛̳̝̝̟͐̍̎͑ȅ̶͍̾͋͗…̷̢̟̘̑͆̈́_ **

I jolted awake with a start, only to find Sammy crouching in front of me, his mask just half a foot in front of my face. I pushed him away quickly, my hands coming back coated in ink.

“Stop watching me sleep! It’s creepy and rude,” I snapped. Sammy shrugged, then held something out for me to take. I cautiously did, turning it around in my hands. It was a small glass inkwell, still sealed. 

“Okay? And what am I supposed to do with this?” I inquired, raising an eyebrow. Sammy stared straight at me.

“Drink it.” 

“I _ what? _” I asked incredulously. “You’re kidding.” He shook his head.

“I’m not,” he stated.

“No.” I asserted. “Not in a million years.” 

“You said that last time too,” he chuckled. I felt the blood drain from my face as I realized he was right. 

“T-that was different.”

“Was it?” He was still right, which didn't help the nausea that was bubbling in my stomach. 

I rubbed my eyes, the ink bottle feeling heavier than it should have been. I looked down at it, twirling it in my fingers and feeling the liquid slosh inside. Was I crazy just for thinking about it? A soft voice interrupted my thoughts.

“It’s not that bad. It doesn’t taste very good, or feel very good, but it gets easier.” _ It gets easier? What kind of hogwash is that? _ But even as these thoughts raced through my mind, my gaze lingered on the smooth, glass bottle. I don’t know what I was thinking, but my fingers moved almost of their own accord. I took the lid off and peered inside, then glanced back up at Sammy. 

“I’m not drinking this stuff.” 

“I’m just trying to help you. I really am. It will make everything so much easier…” 

I looked back down at the bottle. Maybe if I just indulged him, just went along with his delusions, he’d drop the subject. And it was just... ink… right? It wouldn’t kill me, that much I was sure of. I lifted the bottle to my lips.

“If I do this, I don’t want to hear another word about it, got it?” Sammy nodded just a bit too eagerly. It made me even more uncomfortable, but there was no backing out now.

The rim touched my lips and I tilted my head back. The acrid taste of ink filled my mouth. It was _ awful _. It was downright abhorrent, and caused me to immediately gag, but I managed to swallow. After just a few seconds, my tongue felt almost numb and my throat and eyes burned. 

“It’s terrible,” I sputtered. 

**Ǐ̸̛̱̣͔̍̓̕̚͝ţ̶̼̦͈̯̞̍ ̷̭̦̥̯͆å̴̜̪͍̲̦̇̾̽̕ͅĭ̶̡̡̼̱̺̺̑͐̒̍n̸̂͑̅̑̾̒͝ͅ’̶̧͍̌ṭ̷͔̀͌ ̶̫̘͑̇̈́̀̈́͝s̶̨̹̙̮͌ͅo̵̳̿̔̈́̏̈̍ ̴͎͙͇̱̓͐̉̿͑̊̓͜b̷̛͎̒a̷̳͈͈̟̹͗̋d̷̩̲͙͖̰̝͋̎̄͝,̵̢̭̰̻͛̈́̍͊͝͠ͅ ̶̟̫̅̐̓̾̚ḯ̵̺̗̳̋̾͒s̴̨͈͉̮̪̏̀̈́͜ ̸̛̺̈́̏̃i̶̺̣̬͑t̶͇̣͐̈̄͝͠ͅ?̶̡̫̎̐͠ ̸̢̗̠̩̠̼͂̓̂̂͗**

**̵̡͉̊͛͋** ****

“Shi—!” Suddenly, a cold, wet hand wrapped around mine and forced the bottle to my lips again, cutting off my expletive. I nearly choked on the stuff, but managed to swallow instead. His other arm pressed against my sternum, holding me in place.

“I’m just trying to help, keep going.” He urged, tipping the bottle back further. It was nearly empty by the time I managed to shove him off, coughing and gasping for air. I could feel it churning in my stomach, worming and writhing as though it were alive. 

“Get off me, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!” I demanded, wincing and clutching my stomach with one hand and wiping the ink off my chin with the other. 

“I told you, it’s easier this way,” Sammy said calmly. Pain flared in my stomach.

“I hope you die a painful death, you asshole,” I growled through gritted teeth. 

“How do you feel?”

“Like someone just made me swallow a bunch of ink,” I seethed.

“You chose first. You took the first step, I just gave you a little push.” I grimaced. It felt like someone had dumped boiling oil into my stomach.

“You know what? Screw you. I used to feel bad for you, for whatever happened to you,” I muttered, getting to my feet and using the wall for support. “Well you probably deserved it, you jerk.” I glared at him as I stomped out the door. 

As soon as I was in the hallway, I stuck a finger down my throat in a desperate attempt to make myself throw up. It didn’t work. I swore again, starting down the hallway. I was getting out, or I was going to die trying._ If Bendy kills me, so be it _, I told myself. I would rather die than stay here a moment longer. That’s what I told myself, anyway. 

I reached the exit in the Music Department, which was, of course, locked. I kicked it angrily. I should have made Sammy give me the axe. I climbed the stairs again, grabbed a chair, then returned. I lifted the chair above my head, and with an angry shout, brought it down as hard as I could on the door. The cheap wood simply shattered. Panting, I leaned against the wall.

_ I never should have come here _. 

I wasn’t sure how long I stood there there. Only that at some point, something cold and wet started dripping onto my shoulder. I lifted my head and glanced upward. A pipe far above my head was leaking, that rancid black liquid dripping from it. I stood up straight. I couldn’t stop now. Even though it was practically impossible, I still wasn’t going to give up. I couldn’t. Because once I gave up, that was it. 

I turned and started walking quickly toward the staircase that would lead to the first floor. I raced up the stairs, eventually reaching the top and bursting through the door. I made it to the exit. I stood in the hall for a moment, but didn’t bother to make my way over and across the hole. I went back over to the hallway I’d seen the man. _ I never learned his name _, I thought bitterly. Although… that could have made it even worse. I walked down the hall and around the corners. There were doors, of course, but none that I hadn’t noticed in the past and none that were unlocked. I decided that if I needed to I could come back and try to force them open, but I didn’t know which one was an exit so I could spend hours opening a door to a tiny, useless office. And I’d rather not do that.

Grabbing a large, heavy piece of wood leaning on the wall, I started over to the door. Slowly making my way around the hole, I positioned one foot directly between the door and the hole, and the other foot to the right of the hole, right alongside the wall. 

Now in a position I wouldn’t easily fall, I held the sturdy piece of wood and slammed it into the door as hard as I could, just to the left of the doorknob. I pulled it back and swung again. And again. And again. Soon I was coated in sweat, panting, and exhausted. But there wasn’t even a mark on the door. Not the slightest sign that what I’d been doing had even the smallest effect. Breathing heavily, I sat down between the hole and the corner, my back pressed against the wall, dropped my make-shift battering ram next to me, and rested my head on my knees. 

Tears sprung into the corners of my eyes. I really was going to die here. I swore under my breath, but the moment the vulgar word passed my lips, a single word echoed in my mind.

**L̴̽̐̌͑͗̚͜͝a̶̡̪̖͔͇͔̯̩͑͐͗͊̏̓̓̚͝͠n̷̨͔̲̳͈̜̈́̅ͅg̵̰͓̹͔̗̥̟͂̄̐̄̐̑u̸̧̟̦̗̟̲̱̗̔́̿͜͝ą̶̣̦̭̰̒̋̚g̷̛̠̋͑̂̓́͛́͋͝e̶̙͍̩̘͔̥̻͎͖̓͊̐͋̆̇͊.̸̘̦̻̹̟͇̥̓̐̏̈͒̃̏͝**

**̴̤̠̘͔͈̳̖̲͇̘̤͖͊͠**

The voice was no longer painful, but was still grating and unpleasant. _ Like my dream _... I straightened, glancing around and wondering if he was watching me.

“What do you _ want?” _ I asked, trying not to let desperation bleed into my voice. Whether it worked or not was unknown, because all I received in response was a chuckle. 

“Do you need me for something? Or are you just keeping me alive for your entertainment? Why won’t you just let me _ leave _?” 

**Ơ̷̧̡̲̯̣̼̲̻̰̊̇̽́̂̆̇͌ͅḩ̸̛͚̻̱̺̘̠̫̬͙̂̽̌͑̿̓͘ͅ,̶̺̭͓̠̓͊̈́ ̶͇͍̣͉̮͌̿̉̈́̂͆ͅd̴̡̻̝̥̮͙̈͑̐̾̋̑̒͛͊̑̋͘ȧ̸̟̬̜̪̳̰̼̤͇r̵̹̖͕̻̠͓͎͎̪͌̈́͛ͅl̴̨̗̔i̸̢̩̬̥̥̫̪̮̬̪̙̓̋̍̌͘ͅn̵̡̛̮̓̾̂͒̈̊̃’̵͖̗̞̀̈̔͐.̶̬̣̝̯͛̆̋̑͂̐̉͗̉͂̉͝ ̸̹̞̙̂̏̄̐͋͑̕͜Y̴͔̤̱͓̳̗̬̱͔͝o̶̮̹̰͐͋̿͛͋͋͘ų̶̢͍͓̜͕͍̪̼͓̭͗̏͝ͅ ̷̨̡̤͙̖̯̦̻͇̱̥̉̒̓͗͋͋͊͘͘̕͝͝r̷̮̪͍͎̓̋̾̒͌e̴͚͉͙̭͒ä̷͚́̉̈́͛l̷̡̨̤͚̼̣̟̜͔̥̋̾͜ļ̶̗̖͇̦͍̗͔̠̚y̸̧͕̫̯͍̦̻͔̼̱̅̓̈́̿̓̍̋̉͒͘ͅͅ ̷̛͎͚͛̒́d̸̨̨̟̹̋ơ̷̛̯̼̮̙͈̂̋̒̈́̍̓̆̿͗͜n̸̡͕̗̺͙̺̼̠̼͑̿͐̿̑̑̒̽̓͠’̴̱͈̜̫̙̞̽͌̓̎͠͠ẗ̴̡͓̲͖͈͓̰̜̣̯͚́̄͘̕ͅ ̷͔̬̙̭͙͓̆̐̍̒̄͘ķ̵̞͖̻̞̘͌̓͐͊n̷̛͈̓͊̄̈́̓͌̅͝͠͠ơ̴̰̪͓͕͉̦̋͒̌̌̄͌̑͊ẅ̸̪̗̽,̶̞͓̯̝̫͆͋̄̀̅͑̈́̍͌̊̕ ̷̨͇͕̟̙͑̊ḑ̶̹̭͒̿̊͊͒̋̌͋͗̒͠o̷̡͚̩͉͎͎̬̹͐̏̑̍̎͜͜͜ͅ ̶̢̖̻̫͓͈̬̻̲̰̽͜ÿ̷̜́o̴̬̣̰͋͘ư̴̦͇̦̳̞͙͚͌̽̈́̏̊̏͆̇̉̓͝?̷̡̤̖̼̗̣̯̯͈̈́**

I straightened my legs, letting them dangling off the edge of the hole, then leaned forward, peering down into the darkness. If I couldn’t leave… I wasn’t going to just sit around and be his plaything. Determination swelled within me, and I narrowed my eyes, looking around once more as I moved closer to the hole. I’d survived the fall once, but I’d landed in ink, which had broken my two or three story fall. There was nothing down there now besides a cold, unforgiving floor. 

“I’ll do it,” I burst out boldly, my voice echoing off the bare walls. There was nothing. Silence. 

“You know I will.” And I would, if I had to. I was nothing if not stubborn. As I inched closer to the hole, to the point where if I leaned forward any more I’d fall, I could almost feel the tension in the air. 

And yet, it was silent. 

I closed my eyes, leaning forward just enough to shift my center of mass over the edge, and… 

Nothing happened. 

I opened my eyes in confusion, suddenly realizing that I couldn’t move. My body felt weak, incredibly weak, and despite my best efforts, I couldn’t move a muscle.

“Are… are you doing this?!” I demanded. I still received no response. I pulled backward instead and suddenly I could move again. I got to my feet and started making my way down the hallway. As I passed the wall with the words ‘Dreams come true’ messily scrawled across it, I paused, my eyes drifting over to the ink dripping down from the ceiling. Frowning, I shook my head and continued toward the stairs. 

I made my way back down to the Music Department, back to that room. The room where every single bad thing had happened so far. It made me uneasy to be in there, especially after what had just transpired, but I ignored it as I made my way past the ominous circle on the floor and into the next room. I was relieved to find that Sammy wasn’t there. Good. There was no way I was in the mood to talk to him. 

I bent down, picking up the axe that had been left leaning against the wall, then I turned and started making my way back up. For some strange reason, my eyes seemed to linger on the ink puddles on the floor, though I forced myself to keep walking this time. Before heading up, I went a bit out of my way to Wally’s closet, and I grabbed the keys I’d left sitting in the lock. Might as well double my chances. The uneasiness in my stomach hadn’t lifted even though I’d left the room behind. However, it began to shift into a slightly different feeling. A sort of emptiness. Like something was missing. Yet I had no clue what the matter was. I eventually just wrote it off on my situation: the fact that I was stuck in this hellhole and hadn’t eaten anything but a single can of expired bacon soup in the past couple days. Well, and the… ugh. I didn’t even want to think about it.

I sighed heavily as I finally reached the top floor again. At this point, I had little hope that I’d actually be able to escape. But even if I didn’t have a choice except to stay here, it didn’t mean I had to be happy and content about it. I still couldn’t stop trying, whether or not it was hopeless. My only other option was to cooperate, and the man’s screams were still far too fresh in my mind for that.

As I trudged down that hallway, I stopped in my tracks and turned, my eyes fixated on the dripping ink. Rather than continuing forward like I had before, I found myself dropping the axe and keys and slowly stepping closer. Reaching out a hand to catch some on my index finger. As I stared at the glossy black liquid, I suddenly blinked, then frowned. _ What am I doing? _ I had the intention of wiping the stuff off on my jeans and continuing on my way, but I just couldn’t quite bring myself to do so. 

Instead, and I wasn’t entirely sure why, I brought the finger up to my mouth. I just… did it. I couldn’t help myself. I touched my finger to my tongue, so lightly that it could hardly be called a lick, and immediately recoiled at the taste.  
“I don’t know what I was thinking, it’s still awful,” I muttered to myself. And yet…

Sticking my finger into my mouth, I turned suddenly and walked briskly to the chest of drawers that were nearby, rapidly opening drawers and riffling through them. Finally, I found what I was looking for. I grabbed a lone can of bacon soup, popped the tap and peeled the lid off, then carelessly dumped the contents on the floor. 

Gripping the can so tightly my knuckles turned white, I paced back over to the wall and held it under the steady flow of ink, my hand shaking ever so slightly. It was nearly half full when I brought it to my lips and threw my head back, swallowing it all in a few gulps. I cut my lip on the sharp metal, but hardly noticed. The ink still tasted _ bad _, don’t get me wrong. And yet... I didn't mind so much. I let out a breathy chuckle. I don’t know why I found myself laughing all of a sudden, but I couldn’t stop. My breath came in quick gasps between my nonstop giggles. Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes, threatening to spill over. I leaned hard against the wall, running my ink-stained fingers through my long hair. 

“What is _ wrong _ with me?” I croaked, my entire body trembling uncontrollably. 

I felt it in my stomach. The ink. Settling like concrete, making itself at home. 

_ But maybe… _ a single, traitorous thought snaked into my mind. 

_ Maybe that isn’t so bad. _

I closed my eyes and took deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. _ I should… go talk to Sammy. Apologize. He was just trying to help, after all. But first… _

I lifted my head and reached my shaking hand out, still holding the can. 

_ Just a little more. _


End file.
